New mycotoxin confirmed in US corn crop

A mycotoxin not previously seen in the U.S. corn crop this year was confirmed in corn in one state in the past week, according to Neogen’s Mycotoxin Report from November 23.
Zearalenone was confirmed in corn in North Carolina at more than 250 parts per billion.
Other mycotoxins that have been reported in the U.S. corn crop this year are:

Fumonisin

• Texas
• North Carolina
• California
• Kansas

Deoxynivalenol

• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Indiana
• Ohio
• New York
• Wisconsin
• Missouri
• Illinois
• Iowa
• South Dakota
• Michigan
• Minnesota

Aflatoxin

• Georgia
• Texas
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Virginia
• Oklahoma
• Kansas
• Tennessee
• Alabama

Last week, conditions were favorable for harvest, with temperatures near normal for most of the U.S. The upper Midwest saw warmer-than-normal temperatures and the Atlantic coast saw heavy rains.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 96 percent of the corn crop has been harvested. That is well ahead of the 88 percent at this time one year ago, and two points ahead of the five-year average.
Colorado is 8 points behind the five-year average for harvest completion at this time.

New mycotoxins confirmed in US corn crop

There are new reports of aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol (DON) in the U.S. corn crop this week, according to Neogen’s Monday Mycotoxin report.
The new reports of aflatoxin came from Oklahoma, where levels have been detected at more than 100 parts per billion (ppb). More than 20 ppb is too high for food and pet food.
New reports of DON came from Minnesota, with levels of more than 2 parts per million (ppm) and Michigan, with levels of more than 3 ppm. The report also said 2015 is the worst year for DON in wheat in the past 17 years.
Neogen warned that, in the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states, increased damage and mycotoxin development may occur in crops that are still in fields that experienced recent flooding due to Hurricane Joaquin. Grain storage facilities in those areas also could have damage to grain in the bins and infrastructure.

Crop report

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said fully mature corn is at 94 percent, compared with 91 percent for the five-year average at this time.
Corn in good to excellent condition is at 68 percent, compared with 74 percent at this time a year ago. Corn in poor to very poor condition is at 10 percent, compared with 7 percent a year ago. Poor- to very poor-quality corn is most prevalent in Illinois (15 percent), Ohio (19 percent), Indiana (24 percent) and North Carolina (28 percent).
Forty-two percent of the nation’s corn has been harvested, compared with the five-year average at this time of 43 percent. Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin are behind average on their harvests.
The latest winter outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a heavy influence from El Nino, with a warmer and drier winter for northern states and a cooler and wetter winter for southern states. Southern wheat growers should expect to be affected by cool, wet weather and low wheat prices.

USDA releases year’s first crop production estimates

• 

  freeimages.com

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first estimates for crop production this year has been released.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) first estimates for crop production this year has been released.
  In the USDA’s May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report, it said that, overall, wheat production would be higher and corn and soybeans would be lower this season.
  Production
  

  • Wheat: Projected at 2,087 million bushels, up 3 percent
  • Corn: Projected at 13.6 billion bushels, down 586 million
  • Soybeans: Projected at 3,850 million bushels, down 119 million

  U.S. corn farmers harvested a record 14.2 billion bushels of corn in 2014, with a record national average yield of 171 bushels per acre.
  Demand in Asia
  In March, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Asia’s growing middle class, and its changing tastes and diets, is increasing demand for grains, especially wheat, marking a boon for Australia and the United States. By 2030, two-thirds of the global middle class, or 3.3 billion people, will be living in Asia, with China accounting for the largest share from just 1.8 billion now.
  The U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Beijing said it expects China to continue to increase its imports of soybeans though the 2015-16 marketing year, according to the Peoples Republic of China Oilseeds and Products Annual. The forecast for Chinese imports of soybeans is 77.5 million tons, up 4.5 million tons from the forecast for the current year.

US crop progress ahead of normal levels

U.S farmers are ahead of normal pace for planting corn and soybeans this spring, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Crop Progress report from May 4 shows that, at the halfway point, corn planting is a 55 percent, which is 20 percent ahead of the average pace for the week and almost 30 percent ahead of the same time a year ago.
The biggest jumps came in Iowa, where 14 percent of planting was done a week ago and 68 percent was done this week; Michigan, with 4 percent last week and 30 percent this week; Minnesota, with 38 percent last week and 83 percent this week; and Nebraska, with 16 percent last week and 57 percent this week.
Nine percent of the corn planted has emerged, up from 2 percent a week ago but behind the average by 12 percent this week.
The USDA said 13 percent of the soybean crop is planted, up from 2 percent last week, and ahead of the average of 9 percent for this week.
Rain forecast across the Plains states and the Corn Belt is expected to slow the planting progress, but temperatures are expected to stay at or above normal levels.
"Showers across the northwestern Midwest yesterday marked the beginning of a shift to a wetter pattern across the central and western Midwest this week. The heaviest rains across the Corn Belt this week should occur across Nebraska, Iowa, and northern Illinois," MDA Weather Services senior ag meteorologist Kyle Tapley said on May 4. "Persistent rains in these areas this week should stall planting efforts, but they'll improve soil moisture levels for germination of corn and soybeans. Warm weather this week across the Corn Belt will also favor crop germination."

Council reports record-breaking $17.3 billion in crop losses in 2012

Extreme weather forced the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) to pay out a record-breaking $17.3 billion in crop losses last year, much of which could have been prevented using water-smart strategies, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Payments made to farmers during the 2012 growing season to cover losses from drought, heat and hot wind alone accounted for 80 percent of all farm losses, with many Upper Midwest and Great Plains states hit hardest.
With extreme weather conditions such as drought expected to become more common, record-breaking insurance payouts will likely continue to increase. However, widespread adoption of crop-loss prevention methods that build soil health and improve water management on farms can limit these losses. From 2001 to 2010, crop losses averaged just $4.1 billion a year, making the 2012 record-breaking FCIP payouts even more staggering.
"The Federal Crop Insurance Program has failed farmers and taxpayers by ignoring water challenges," said Claire O'Connor, NRDC Agricultural Water Policy Analyst. "The program was designed to be a safety net, not a subsidy for increasingly risky practices and less sustainable food production. We need to empower farmers to invest in low risk, water-smart practices that are proven to reduce crop losses."
NRDC's study, Soil Matters: How the Federal Crop Insurance Program should be reformed, includes a new interactive crop loss and weather map detailing crop losses county-by-county in all 50 states in 2012, when more than 80 percent of agricultural lands nationwide suffered drought.
The report finds that American farms, particularly in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains, were primarily impacted by three major forms of extreme weather in 2012: drought, heat and hot wind, all of which are expected to increase in the future. The top ten states with the largest overall crop insurance payouts due to drought, heat and hot wind were:

• Illinois: 98 percent of all crop losses were caused by drought, heat and hot wind, costing $3,011,443,799
• Iowa: 97 percent of losses, costing $1,924,444,160 
• Indiana: 97 percent of losses, costing $1,130,302,660 
• Kentucky: 96 percent of losses, costing $454,380,256 
• Missouri: 95 percent of losses, costing $1,098,310,111 
• Wisconsin: 94 percent of losses, costing $372,479,370
• South Dakota: 93 percent of losses, costing $1,029,780,352 
• Kansas: 93 percent of losses, costing $1,273,662,944 
• Nebraska: 92 percent of losses, costing $1,427,738,976 
• Texas: 75 percent of losses, costing $974,548,606
Soil Matters' analysis reveals the key causes of the staggering crop insurance payouts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (RMA), and examines the systemic flaws in RMA's program, which fails to account for risky farming practices that create extreme weather vulnerabilities and ignores the risk-reducing value of healthy soil. The report outlines solutions for a crop insurance reform pilot plan that would build soil health to help climate-proof American farms, and would reduce government and taxpayer costs by encouraging farmers to become more resistant to weather-related risks. The pilot, which would not require legislation, would offer reduced premium rates to farmers who adopt proven soil-building management practices that sustain productive crop yields and result in greater water infiltration, less farm runoff and reduced flooding.
"Farmers can apply their own skills to build healthy soil, reduce the worst effects of climate change, and rein in the skyrocketing costs of this program," said Gabe Brown, Great Plains farmer and soil champion. "Healthy soil is one of the most effective and time-tested insurance policies we have."
These best management practices include cover cropping, conservation tillage and improved irrigation scheduling:

• Cover crops: crops grown with the specific purpose of building soil health and increasing biodiversity on farms focused on growing major commodity crops. Farmers who used cover crops in 2012 averaged higher yields than farmers who did not, according to one recent USDA survey.  The yield benefit from cover crops was most pronounced in the areas hardest hit by the drought, demonstrating the importance of cover crops to drought-proofing fields. 
• No-till farming: a soil moisture management method when farmers plant directly into the stubble from the previous year's crops, rather than plowing up this residue. The protective stubble serves as mulch that retains soil moisture, suppresses weeds and increases a field's capacity to grow high-yield crops.  In 2010, corn farmers who used no-till were 30 percent less likely to file a crop insurance claim than conventional tilling corn farmers.
• Improved irrigation scheduling: a simple altering of often fixed irrigation times, whereby farmers apply adaptive irrigating schedules based on frequent examinations of soil health. This improved efficiency could help farmers avoid some supply constraints that cause losses during dry years; in 2012, irrigation supply failures accounted for more than $14.7 million in indemnity payments.

Volunteer soybeans put 2013 corn crop at risk of pests, diseases

One of the biggest threats to the emerging 2013 corn crop in Nebraska and South Dakota is the presence of volunteer soybeans, according to Chip Flory, ProFarmer editor and crop analyst. Flory shared that observation on August 27 during the Grain & Meat Outlook Webinar, hosted by WATT Global Media and Farm Journal. The webinar, the second in a series, remains available for online viewing.
Volunteer crops are not necessarily unusual, especially in farms where crops are rotated. But the presence of soybeans in corn fields is concerning to Flory.
"In a lot of those fields, there are some pretty good beans in there once you get the corn out of the way," Flory said.
However, the presence of soybeans in a corn field is a serious matter, Flory added, because it is a harbor for soybean diseases and pests that can harm the corn. It has also brought aphids to the corn crop.
Despite the problems brought on by the presence of volunteer soybeans in some corn fields, Flory said the 2013 corn crop looks "very clean" and is at minimal risk for mycotoxins. 

WATTAgNet, Farm Journal to host ‘Grain & Meat Outlook’ webinar March 26

WATTAgNet and Farm Journal Media will present the first webinar in a three-part “Grain & Meat Outlook” series on March 26 at 10 a.m. CDT.
This first “Grain & Meat Outlook” webinar will focus on March U.S. Department of Agriculture crop reports, prospects for the spring planting season, and the effects of the current grain supply on protein production, specifically poultry production.
The webinar will feature expert speakers Chip Flory, ProFarmer editor, and Dr. Thomas Elam, president of FarmEconLLC.
Register for the “Grain & Meat Outlook” webinar online.
What you’ll learn:
• The most current information regarding the U.S. feed market for 2013
• Key observations about whether the U.S. crop production will get back to a trend line yield in 2013
• Strategies for feed users
• Wholesale meat and poultry supply and pricing for 2013
More information about this webinar and other upcoming webinars is available at www.wattagnet.com/Upcoming_Webinars.aspx.

Continued US drought could cause problems for winter crops

Overall drought conditions in the U.S. lower 48 states have held steady over the seven-day period ending October 2, with one-fifth of the total land area in extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly update of its drought map released on October 4, leading to worries that winter crops may be affected.
Conditions have actually worsened in Iowa and Kansas. About 75 percent of Iowa is enduring extreme or exceptional drought, up 10 percentage points from the previous week. Just over 93.25 percent of Kansas is in extreme or exceptional drought, an increase of roughly 5 percentage points. While corn and soybeans are already in the midst of being harvested, winter wheat may be at risk if the current weather continues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that emergence of winter wheat is lagging, given the extremely dry conditions that could keep that rotational crop from properly germinating. Just five percent of that crop has emerged in South Dakota, down from 32 percent over the previous five years. Similar issues have been reported in Nebraska, Colorado, Montana and Oregon.

US drought continues to drop Midwest crop estimates

The latest estimated U.S. corn yield is now down to 118 bushels per acre due to the ongoing drought, according to MDA EarthSat crop tour, lower than the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture prediction (146 bushels per acre) and a recent Reuters poll (130.8 bushels per acre). MDA EarthSat surveyed 49 fields in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
"The combination of heat and dryness is the worst since 1988," said Kyle Tapley, head ag meteorologist with MDA EarthSat. "The widespread nature of the drought combined with the heat left disappointing yields everywhere. We saw variability, but the good is not going to outweigh the bad." In Iowa, the number one corn-producing state, the yield is estimated at 146 bushels per acre, down 16 percent from the average of 174.7 bushels per acre in the same areas of the state in 2011. Some Iowa corn plants were only 4 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall with thin stalks and small ears. Others, though mostly green, were visibly stressed by heat and drought, according to reports.
West-central Iowa has received 75 percent or less of its normal rainfall since June 1, and the entire state is in severe drought or worse.

US farmers must plant 237 million acres corn, other crops to meet global demand

237 million acres of corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton will need to be planted this year in the U.S. to meet U.S. and global demands.

The Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group's report, "The Battle For Acres: U.S. Field Crops in Competition,” has concluded that in order to build U.S. and global supplies to acceptable levels, 237 million acres of corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton will need to be planted this year in the U.S.
The estimate represents an increase of 7 million over 2010’s total planted acres and an increase of 3 million over 2008’s record high of 234 million planted acres. Such numbers could lead to price volatility as producers determine how much of each crop to plant. "The consequence of the current competition among major crops, other principal crops and land uses, as well as historical precedence, is an intensely volatile environment which could drive prices to historical highs,” said co-author Sterling Liddell, vice president of FAR. “Global events are adding volatility on both the supply and demand side. Conditions are different this year from 2008, as all crops have rallied strongly in need of more U.S. production."
While profit margins favor corn over soybeans and wheat, according to the report the differential is not strong enough to drive significant substitution among the four major crops.

Industry group: USDA should downsize Conservation Reserve Program

The National Grain and Feed Association has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to downsize and significantly reform the Conservation Reserve Program.
In a statement submitted in response to a draft USDA supplemental environmental impact statement on future Conservation Reserve Program policy options, the association said it was “flawed, erroneous and short-sighted” to assess the program’s environmental benefits “in isolation and in a vacuum” without also considering the positive environmental benefits of other USDA conservation programs, modern agricultural tillage practices and existing conservation requirements imposed under USDA farm programs.
“The idling of productive land resources cuts off the economic multiplier inherent in crop, livestock and poultry production, thereby costing jobs and suffocating economic vitality in rural communities,” wrote NGFA President Kendell W. Keith.
Of the three policy alternatives contained in USDA’s draft environmental assessment, the NGFA favored the option that would reduce the size of the Conservation Reserve Program to 24 million acres. But the NGFA encouraged USDA to allocate more than the 4 million acres called for under that policy option to targeted sign-ups of the most environmentally sensitive land.
The NGFA statement said reallocating some of the Conservation Reserve Program’s budget to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, which apply to working farmlands, would achieve greater conservation benefits than idling non-sensitive land under the Conservation Reserve Program.
The other two policy options offered in USDA’s draft environmental assessment both call for enrolling 32 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program.

US corn 88% harvested, sorghum harvest 94% complete

The USDA Crop Progress Report for the week ending December 6 estimates 88% of corn is out of the fields, compared to 79% a week earlier.
The corn harvest is so late this year that the USDA has no comparison figures for this same date during the last five years.
Soybean growers had harvested 96% of the crop a week ago, and the USDA is no longer tracking that harvest.
The sorghum crop is 94% in, compared to 87% last week. Just as with the corn crop, the sorghum harvest is so late that there are no comparison figures for this date for the last five years. Although sorghum is not frequently used in animal feed in th US, the US exports large quantities since other countries do use it in for producing feed.

Storage facilities under bumper crop pressure

Fall harvests of corn, sorghum and soybean are expected to be high, leaving the Midwest with storage concerns, according to reports. A lackluster demand for the abundant winter wheat crop is causing storage problems as overseas buyers watch and wait as prices fall. With a strong fall harvest on the way, storage will be difficult to come by.
Some grain will be “placed on the ground in some areas,” said Tom Tunnell, executive director of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. This leads to problems for elevator operators as crops stored in this manner typically have much higher rates of spoilage.
Some winter crops have been stored in Oklahoma where crops have been poor, making storage space available.
Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade are trading around $4.5575 a bushel, down from August’s $5.7725.

Obama names chief agricultural negotiator

President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Isi A. Siddiqui, a prominent agricultural scientist, to be the U.S.'s next chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Presently, Siddiqui is the vice president for science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America. He previously was employed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for 28 years and has also served the Clinton administration in various roles related to agriculture.
The American Feed Industry Association expressed its support of the nomination.